J’ai lu sur « Wikipédia » que le tout premier exemplaire des oeuvres en folio de Shakespeare était conservé à la bibliothèque de l’Université d’Harvard aux Etats-Unis. Ayant été sur le site de l’Université, je n’ai pu trouver la confirmation de cette info. Pouvez-vous m’en dire un peu plus et confirmer cela ?Merci !

Réponse apportée le 12/10/2013  par PARIS Bpi – Actualité, Art moderne, Art contemporain, Presse

La Houghton Library possède bien deux copies de ce premier exemplaire.
Je vous transmets la réponse de notre collègue du service ‘Ask a librarian’ de la bibliothèque d’Harvard accessible à cette adresse : http//asklib.hcl.harvard.edu/>

Houghton Library (Harvard University) has two copies of the First Folio. One is incomplete. Here is the catalogue record:

Author : Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.
Title : Plays
Title : Mr. William Shakespeares comedies, histories, & tragedies : published according to the true originall copies.
Published : London : Printed by Isaac Iaggard and Ed. Blount …, 1623.

INTERNET LINK : Frontispiece:
http//nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL.HOUGH:11190301?buttons=y [ Color digital
image available from STC 22273 ]>

Location : Houghton f STC 22273 [Imperfect: lacks all after sig 226.] [T.p.
inscribed: « Charles Chauncy ».] [Ex libris (bookplate): Charles Chauncey.]
Location : Houghton Film E 774
Location : Houghton Vault HEW 7.11.1 F [Imperfect: First leaf of verses To the
Reader supplied from another copy (C.f. Locker-Lampson My Confidences (1896),
pp. 203-216).] [With the bookplate of Frederick Locker-Lampson.] [Red morocco
binding by Francis Bedford; a.e.g.]
Location : Networked Resource
Restrictions : No restrictions on access copy.

Description : [18], 303, [1], 46, 49-100, [2], 69-232, [2], 79-80, [26], 98,
[2], 109-156, 257-993 [i.e. 399], [1] p. port. ; 37 cm. (fol.)
Technical Info : Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful
Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library
Federation, December 2002. http://purl.oclc.org/DLF/benchrepro0212
Notes : The first folio.
Editors’ dedication signed: Iohn Heminge. Henry Condell.
Colophon: Printed at the charges of W. Jaggard, Ed. Blount, I. Smithweeke, and W. Aspley, 1623.
Numerous errors in paging.
With an engraved title-page portrait of the author signed: « Martin· Droeshout : sculpsit· London. » There is a shadow on the collar. An early state has no shadow.
Number 24 in Sir Sindey Lee’s Census.–Cf. Shakespeare’s comedies, histories, & tragedies … containing a census of extant copies … (Oxford, 1902).
« The life and death of King Iohn » begins new pagination on leaf a1r; « The tragedy of Coriolanus » begins new pagination on leaf 2a1r. P. 399 misnumbered 993.
For details see Hinman, Charleton. The printing and proof-reading of the First Folio of Shakespeare: Oxford, 1963.
References : STC (2nd ed.) 22273.
Authors : Heminge, John, approximately 1556-1630.
Condell, Henry, -1627.
Smethwicke, John, -1641, bookseller.
Jaggard, Isaac, -1627, printer.
Blount, Edward, active 1588-1632, bookseller.
Aspley, William, -1640, bookseller.
Bedford, Francis, 1799-1883, binder.
Locker-Lampson, Frederick, 1821-1895, former owner.
Other Titles : Early English Books, 1475-1640, 774.
Hierarchical Place : England — London.
HOLLIS Number : 003723123

You can learn a great deal about the First Folio from the website of the Folger Library, which has the greatest number of copies of this work :
http//www.folger.edu/Content/Discover-Shakespeare/Shakespeares-Works/The-First-Folio-of-Shakespeare/>

Cordialement,

Eurêkoi – Bpi (Bibliothèque publique d’information)
http//www.bpi.fr
http//www.Eurêkoi.org